The invention relates to a process for feeding articles, especially packs, to a processing station, for example a collecting and packaging station, in which process the articles can be fed in a closely arranged series (pack series) to the processing station by a pack conveyor. The invention also relates to an apparatus for carrying out the process.
Bringing together small packs, especially cigarette sticks, and packaging them into large bundles are of primary importance. In this operation, the cigarette sticks, lying transversely on a pack conveyor, are fed to a collecting and packaging station, in which the packs (cigarete sticks) are combined into a group and then pushed into an open folding carton.
In apparatuses of packaging units of the type in question here, temporary faults are unavoidable in practice, particularly in the region of the collecting and packaging station. If the cigarettes are not received and processed by this, there is a build-up of packs (build-up series) on the pack conveyor when the pack conveyor continues to run. The upper side of the pack conveyor, which preferably consists of one or more conveyor belts, slides along on the underside of the stationary packs. If the wrappers are delicate, for example where metallized pack blanks for cigarette sticks are concerned, this results in undesirable markings on the packs (cigarette sticks) or even damage to them.